Use A Little Basic Pr

March 29, 1990

There was some simple but useful advice in the report of a consultant hired to improve Virginia Beach's image after the disastrous Greekfest fiasco last Labor Day weekend. It's advice that all local public officials would do well to heed: Don't ignore or freeze out the media, the consultant advised. Instead, deal with reporters.

While it's true that many factors were at work in the Greekfest brouhaha, Virginia Beach city officials didn't help themselves or their city when they committed a crucial error. According to Charles Bussey, the consultant hired by the city, an information vacuum existed in Virginia Beach in the days leading up to and during Greekfest. In the absence of facts, rumors filled the void, so the situation was fed by false, rather than factual, information.

To try to repair the damage, Bussey has suggested that city officials meet with editorial boards, encourage interviews with columnists and generally make themselves highly accessible to the media. They should talk about Virginia Beach's assets and the city's plans for the 1990 Labor Day weekend.

Bussey has outlined what ought to be basic for public officials. But instead, more often than not, when a big story comes along, officials shut up. Their favorite phrase is "No comment."

What they fail to realize is that certain stories are going to be printed or aired regardless of how little information they give out. When they refuse to comment, they simply throw away their chance to have any input or to get across their point of view. That's not only foolish, it also doesn't serve the public well. We urge area officials to learn from Virginia Beach's mistake. And we encourage those in the public eye to view as axiomatic this advice: Never say, "No comment."